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Avenue of the Banian Trees, Seringham, India
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A rare, beautiful example of Linnaeus Tripe concentrating simply on the landscape, this carefully composed image depicts a picturesque avenue of banyan trees, dense with foliage. Nearly 1,000 miles of road in the Salem District of India were lined by these trees, providing travelers with shade and shelter from the country's intense climate. The inherent characteristics of Tripe's paper negative—with its broad effects of light and shade and lack of crisp details—magnifies the impressionistic appearance of a scene filled with filtered sunlight. The abstract patterns of light and shadow lead the viewer's eyes down the centrally positioned road and through the compelling composition.
| Artist / Maker | Captain Linnaeus Tripe |
|---|---|
| Date | 1858 |
| Culture / Origin | England, 19th century |
| Medium | salted paper print, albumenized, from calotype negative |
| Dimensions | Image: 24.6 x 37 cm (9 11/16 x 14 9/16 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 61 cm (20 x 24 in.) |
| Department | Photography |
| Type | Photograph |
About the Artist
Captain Linnaeus Tripe British, 1822-1902 Born in Davenport, Linnaeus Tripe was an officer in the 12th Regiment Native Infantry at Bangalore who learned photography while on furlough in England between 1851-54. In 1855 he was appointed photographer to a British mission in Burma, where he produced more than 120 views subsequently published by the Madras Photographic Society in Bangalore (1857). For four years, beginning in 1856, he was government photographer to the Madras presidency. Six volumes with more than 100… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
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